How NOAA Keeps America Fishing By Rip Cunningham I tend to be a “less is better” kind of guy when it comes to government. The exception is the management of natural resources like America’s sustainable fisheries. Fishing has been my profession and passion for almost all my life. Having been a part of the recreational

US Commerce Appointments to New England & Mid-Atlantic Councils On June 28, 2017 the US Commerce Department announced appointments to the 8 regional fishery councils. The Magnuson Stevens Fishery & Conservation Act established the Councils to do the detailed work of regional fishery management. Technically, the councils develop and amend fishery management plans in federal

Some may be cheering the Secretary of Commerce’s decision to overrule ASMFC on summer flounder, but in the end, Jersey may have really screwed us If you are a regular reader, you likely know the controversy surrounding summer flounder (aka fluke). And I’m guessing your probably up to speed on the striped bass situation

The Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) is the system under which recreational fishing data is collected and analyzed. MRIP recently released its draft five-year Strategic Plan and is requesting input on the Plan from stakeholders. MRIP is seeking public feedback as part of their ongoing commitment to improving surveys through collaboration among federal, regional, and state agencies,

H.R. 1411 was introduced by Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6] on March 7, 2017. The text can be found here: “Transparent Summer Flounder Quotas Act” In short, the bill seeks to suspend the 2017 summer flounder specifications – voted on by the Mid-Atlantic Council (MAFMC) and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in August of

Origins Congress first passed the law that we now know as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976. Although the original law set up a framework to conserve and manage the fisheries resources of the United States, and created the eight regional fishery management councils that are responsible for developing the various fishery

On April 4, 2017, NOAA Fisheries published in the Federal Register a “Final Rule” for Amendment 5b to the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) plan. The HMS plan manages a group of species that include tunas and sharks. Amendment 5b was developed in response to the 2016 stock assessment, which determined that dusky sharks are overfished

Legislation Becomes Regulation Once Congress has passed the final votes on an act of legislation, the document is sent to the President to be signed or rejected via veto authority. Assuming legislation is signed, the next step on the way to your tackle box is that “legislation” essentially is translated into “regulation.” Technically, “regulations” are

How the US Governs Our Fishing As we began to spread the word about Fissues.org, one theme was repeated at every trade show seminar and fishing club we visited. The election is over, and most people simply want to return to living their lives without the drama of 24/7 politics. Less rhetoric and more substance